Progression
by Rachel Scavo
Summary: A series of slightly AU one-shots, detailing events in Castle and Beckett's relationship, trying to maintain the 'status quo' of the first four seasons without disrupting the progression of their characters.


_This is more of an experiment than an actual story - It was written sometime during season 4, to answer a mental question: 'How far could I progress Beckett and Castle's romance without actually following through on it?' It's a common thread in most TV shows like this that you don't want to disturb the actual status quo: In this case, the three+ seasons of teasings of a relationship between the two lead characters. It's a large part of the show's dynamic, so disrupting it changes the show, running the chance of messing up badly, and losing your audience. I'm glad they took the risk (perpetual stalls aren't any better, really...), but I wondered to myself how far I could push it *without* taking that risk._

_As I said, this isn't an actual story: It's just scenes, in order, that would be included as part of the overall romance arc, while the rest of the show deals with the normal episode-by-episode events. It's not even all the scenes, just some particular important ones. Consider it a series of odd one-shots._

_This first scene would come at the end of the last episode of season 4 - Consider it an alt to 'Always'. (Which would have had to have gone differently to set it up.)_

* * *

"Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Castle turned away from who he was talking to, and calmed to serious. "Sure."

"Not here. Come on." She lead the way to an empty office, and shut the door behind them. "Take a seat, Castle."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She takes a deep breath, straightens her jacket, and leans against the edge of a desk. "I just need you to listen to me. Nothing of this leaves this room, got that?"

"Of course."

"I just nearly died in your arms. Again. And I realized I needed you to know something, for my peace of mind. Even if I'm not ready."

"Not ready for what?"

She ignores the interruption. "I've been lying to you. That day, in the cemetery, I remember you tackling me. I remember you begging me not to leave you. I remember… The next thing you said. When I woke up in the hospital bed, I could still hear it."

"Then why…"

"Please. Let me finish. I couldn't deal with it then. I still can't. That's why I didn't call. Why I've been pretending I couldn't remember."

"So you don't…"

"I'm not saying that. That would be a lie. But… I can't say I do either. I just… can't."

"Why not?"

"I can't handle it, ok Rick? I can admit I want you a part of my life, but… Look, I just needed you to know. So the next time, I won't be regretting not telling you I heard you." She turns, and leaves the room. Castle starts after her, then stops himself.

Beckett walks back to her desk, and puts her head down, with her arms over her head. After a moment, Castle walks up, normally. "You know, Alexis and Martha have been asking if they could see you again. Would you mind coming over for dinner Friday? I'm sure they'd like to see how you are doing."

Beckett looks up, relief in her eyes. "Yeah, I think I'd like that."

* * *

_The next scene is set at least a season or so later, probably mid-season 6 or so. The Friday night dinners set up above have become routine - and somewhere along the way, Beckett has started to spend the night - in a guest room. Likely what happened is that a dinner became a movie night, and ended up late, and Beckett complained about being to tired to go home. Castle, of course, offered a spare bed. Having happened once, it wasn't hard to have it continue to happen._

_By the time this scene comes around, it's become a regular occurrence, with no one really commenting on it. Well, Alexis decides _she_ should..._

* * *

"I do have a question though: I know I'm just a college girl, who's supposed to be sweet and innocent, but… Aren't you sleeping in the wrong bedroom?"

Beckett sputters out her drink. "What?"

"I mean, it's not like you can really pretend you are just staying because it's to late to go home. You have your own toothbrush in the bathroom."

Beckett sits and looks stunned for a moment. "It's… complicated."

"Obviously. And I've seen the way you and my dad dance around the issue. You can't talk about how you _both_ obviously feel. But you do belong across the hall, don't you?"

Beckett tries to sound parental. "Sex isn't the same as a relationship."

"Didn't say it was." She turns to face Beckett, inverting the normal interrogation pose. "So why are you avoiding both?"

"Alexis, I…" She finally cracks. "Your father is witty and charming and funny and handsome and kind and generous and rich and… He is dream come true, for any girl on the planet. I just…"

Silence for a moment, as she attempts to regain her thoughts. "I worked hard to become a detective. To stand on my own. And it's all based on… Well, I'm working on that. But, the point is that if I give in, if I admit that I… admire your father, and we… I'm not sure who I would be. It's easy to lean back on him, and let him give you everything you need. Like he does for everyone he l… cares for."

"And this is bad?"

"I need to be me, not 'the inspiration for Nikki Heat'."

"He doesn't think of you that way. Besides, if anyone knows how to be in charge around my father, it's you."

"Yeah, well, I'm not as in charge as I seem. Your father knows that."

"So dad knows this?"

"We've… talked. Not quite as plainly, but, yes. He knows."

"Ok then." She nods, and turns back to the cooking food.

"You're right though." Alexis turns back. "I am sleeping in the wrong bedroom. I just need to make a space for myself there." Beckett gets less introspective, and more parental again. "Is that ok? If I do… switch bedrooms, eventually? You'd be fine with that?"

Alexis' face is really all the answer anyone needs: Of _course_ it's ok with her. "Yeah. You two are good together." She gets impish. "You want to switch bedrooms, or put a ring on that finger, it's fine with me." She smiles, and returns to cooking, knowing she's shut Beckett up for the moment.

After a moment, Castle walks in. "Mmm. Breakfast." He sees the two, Beckett obviously still digesting something. "What are you two talking about this morning?"

Beckett looks about to panic, but Alexis turns around smoothly and answers: "Beckett was just telling me she's going to have to find a new apartment. The new landlord is raising the rent, and she can't afford it anymore."

"Really? That's to bad. How long have you got?"

"Oh, it's not really that big a deal…"

"Just till the end of the month."

Castle looks back at Beckett, concerned. "That's not long."

"Yeah, well, we've had a busy few weeks. I haven't had time to look for a new place. Besides, I _can_ afford it, it's just more than I was planning on."

Pulling into a chair. "Well, you are always welcome to use the spare room if you need it."

Beckett finally gets why Alexis chose this cover story. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"And don't worry, the rent is very reasonable…" Camera fades away as Castle continues.

* * *

_This scene is at least half a season away from the previous - and should be a season ender. Probably best as the end of season 7. It marks the end of how far I can push this idea. It's fairly clear from the scene itself what just happened, but I'm not going to speculate on the setup. It could have gone a lot of ways._

* * *

"Rick, marry me."

Castle turns his head to look at her. "That's a little sudden, isn't it? I know we just… But shouldn't we date a bit first?" Beckett turns her head to give him a look. "Yeah, ok, good point." He lies back to look at the ceiling. "Still. If this is what you always ask after sex I can see why guys might get scared away. Unless you're pregnant." He turns to face her. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

Beckett rolls her eyes, and rolls to face him herself. "That would take a _little_ more time to show." She brushes the joke aside, and goes back to serious. "You know how much it has taken me to get here. This isn't a fling, we both know that. We've just been waiting for me to be ready to admit how I feel for you."

"How do you feel about me?"

"Rick…"

Castle cuts her off. "No, Kate. I need to hear you say it. Just once. Please."

She understands, and answers gently. "Richard Castle, you saved my heart from crawling away and hiding from the world. You make me look forward to tomorrow, and you make me interested in facing the world. I'm the luckiest woman in the world for meeting you, and I love you."

"Thanks." He puts a hand out to her cheek. "Are you sure this is what you want? I mean, I don't want you coming to me just because you think you are finally ready for a real relationship, and I'm the guy who's here."

"Rick, I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't sure. I've been _sure_ for a while; if you were still interested in me when I was ready, I knew what I wanted. I just couldn't admit it."

"Oh." He rolls back to his back. "Of course, there's not just us to worry about. There's Alexis, and Martha."

"Rick, Martha's been trying to set us up for years. And Alexis _told me_ she was fine with us getting married, if I ever could get myself to a point where I could admit I wanted to."

"You asked her?"

"No." Castle rolls back. Beckett gets exasperated: "She decided to ask why we weren't, well… Back before I moved in to your spare room full-time. At the end of the talk, she told me if I ever wanted to marry you, it was ok with her."

"That must have been an interesting conversation."

"I can't say I was prepared for it." She waits a moment. "Rick."

"What?"

"You haven't answered me. Please, I need to hear it."

"Hear what?" Another look. "Oh. Sorry, I got sidetracked." He pauses. "Are you sure you don't want a Richard Castle proposal? I know who to talk to to get the Times Square jumbotron."

"Please, Rick. Right here and now is enough."

"Yes; Katherine Beckett, I would be honored to marry you."

"Thank you."

Silence a moment as they both lie there, smiling at each other. "I still think the jumbotron would have been better."

Beckett just gives him a shove.


End file.
